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Doniphan, Missouri We received a complaint from a parent with
children attending Doniphan Elementary School. The family is not
Christian and in previous discussions around Christmas events, has made
clear to the children’s teachers that they do not want them exposed to
an endorsement of Christianity. On May 18 and 19, both students were
required to attend all-school assemblies held to give attendance and
academic awards. Both assemblies began with an administrator (the
principal on May 18 and the vice-principal on May 19) calling upon a
teacher to lead the student in prayer. Both teachers’ prayers were
Christian. We contacted the superintendent to attempt to
resolve the matter amicable. He replied that their policies prohibit
teacher-led prayer, so, even though he disagrees with the policies, he
will tell administrators they must have a student come up to lead
school prayers in the future. Given the superintendent’s lack of
understanding of the constitutional issue and the district’s own
policies, we contacted the school board to request that district
employees be properly trained on church-state separation issues and
issue an apology. We have received no response.
Legal Documents
Complaint
Briefs
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